So we now have a four-way evidence chain - macOS kernel filesystem events, Chrome’s own per-profile state, Chrome’s runtime feature flags, and Google’s component-updater logs - all four agreeing on the same conduct, and the conduct is: a 4 GB AI model arrived on this user’s disk without consent, without notice, on a profile that received zero human input, in a window of 14 minutes and 28 seconds, on a Tuesday afternoon.
Use Shizuku and Canta to uninstall any uninstallable app. Or if you don’t want to bother, just disabling works fine too as long as you are not worried about the storage.
The only ways to make the deletion stick are to disable Chrome’s AI features through chrome://flags or enterprise policy tooling that home users do not generally have, or to uninstall Chrome entirely
It can probably be reverted at their whim at any time
You probably don’t have access to it
It is the most realistic option, just use another non chromium browser
Don’t even bother with 11. At all.
I bought a win11 laptop, didn’t create any accounts just installed the os… Then microsoft locked me out of the laptop with thier new bitlocker bs. It won’t even let me factory reset the effing thing.
Switched to linux and im happy. It’s just a steam deck, but it’s still a better pc than the bit brick.
How do we uninstall or block the download?
Uninstall chrome
Can you even uninstall chrome on an android phone? I only get the option to disable.
Use Shizuku and Canta to uninstall any uninstallable app. Or if you don’t want to bother, just disabling works fine too as long as you are not worried about the storage.
You can use adb on a computer to remove chrome.
https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/188524/how-can-i-uninstall-google-chrome-on-my-android-and-recommend-a-suitable-replace#231279
Is this happening on android, too?
That depends on the ROM you are using.
The one i am using (https://iode.tech/) is using a firefox based browser that you can actually uninstall.
Probably not stock Android. I’m on GrapheneOS and it doesn’t come with Chrome at all. But I don’t think the article is claiming it happens on Android.
Vanadium is Chrome derived; but I’m sure Graphene de-enshittifies it to the maximum possible extent.
So it just to the Chrome app?
The article actually gives 3 options:
Even Chromium should be fine. I doubt it has the branded Google AI features.
This is 5: https://pureinfotech.com/stop-chrome-gemini-nano-download-windows-11/
Obviously only windows focused, so how other platforms stop would require more searching.
I don’t have Windows 11. Still on 10 until October then switching to Linux.
Don’t even bother with 11. At all.
I bought a win11 laptop, didn’t create any accounts just installed the os… Then microsoft locked me out of the laptop with thier new bitlocker bs. It won’t even let me factory reset the effing thing.
Switched to linux and im happy. It’s just a steam deck, but it’s still a better pc than the bit brick.